"Siam's great folk epic of love & war"--Back cover.

This outstanding classic of the Thai language is an entertaining folk epic set in the social panorama of traditional Siam. The tale is a spectacular love story rich in romance, adventure, violence, farce, and magic, and ending in the tragic and enigmatic death of its heroine. Written in lively prose, this new, abridged edition retains every scene, incident, and significant dialogue from the full prize-winning English translation, except for one short section. The great Thai linguist William Gedney believed that “if all other information on traditional Thai culture were to be lost, the whole complex could be reconstructed from this marvelous text.” What others are saying “An excellent English translation of a Thai classic, which in its depth, quality, and readability might very well count as a landmark in Thai studies.”—Peter Skilling, co-editor of How Theravada is Theravada? “Spellbinding”—Jeff Kingston, professor of Asian Studies, Temple University, Japan Highlights • Abridged edition of the full translation published in 2010 • Retains all the scenes and dialogues from the full edition, except for one section • Includes over 30 distinctive drawings from the full translation

The first full history of a great commercial and political center that rose in Asia over almost five centuries.

One of Thailand’s best-known and most highly regarded novels, portraying the romance of a young Thai man and a married older woman ‘In that tranquil and apparently very ordinary picture, I see everything unfolding. Every scene, every part, from the beginning to the final act’ Nopporn, a Thai student studying in Japan, is tasked with hosting a distinguished old family friend and his new wife, the beautiful, aristocratic Kirati. Despite their difference in age and status, and the social constraints of the day, Nopporn and Kirati are inexorably drawn to each other, and love starts to bloom. A stirring portrayal of youthful romantic obsession, and later attempts to come to terms with the frailty of passionate feelings, Behind the Painting also shows the constrained lives of many women of the time. First published in 1937, it is one of Thailand’s best-known and most beloved novels. Translated by David Smyth

The first essay arise out of the crucible of Thailand's social upheaval and student protest movement in the early 1970's, when Thai literacy criticism was nascent. They argue that the tale shows a society without principle, and the characters reveal the latent aggression that resides universally in the human psyche. The remaining three essays originated a generation or more later. The third essay contends that the tale was designed to teach Buddhist morality by employing the Three Worlds cosmography and the law of karma. The fourth essay analyzes the forest as a metaphorical space for the recovery of selfhood, and the final essay examines the tale as a manual that gives crucial guidance on power and politics--

Written after a battle fought in approximately 1475, this poem may be the oldest work of literature from Siam. It features the earliest and most detailed description of a Siamese army, the most elaborate eulogy of an early Thai monarch, and a fascinating discussion of the concept of loyalty. Scenes of personal treachery, heroism, combat, and looting after victory give an absorbing image of early Siam. This translation shares the poem--esteemed in Thailand for its historical and literary importance--with a wider audience. Blank verse conveys the rhythm and atmosphere of the original, and annotations explain obscure words and concepts. An afterword analyzes form, content, and the poem's literary and historical significance.

Translation of Southeast Asian Write Award winning stories and poems organized by International PEN Thai Centre.